Slacker & Steve's Blog

Hitchhikers

by Slacker And Steve,posted May 21 2014 3:55PM

YI!

Steve's nephew might have a death wish. He wants to spend his summer hitchhiking across the country! We think he's crazy because you never know who you're going to run into doing that. Just check out these stories!

'Who is supposed to be afraid: the driver or the hitchhiker?'
Hitchhiking is a way of life for some people. But the practice of thumbing a ride isn't what it used to be. "There really has been a dramatic decline in hitchhiking," Professor Philip Scher said. "The kind of person who hitchhikes might be slightly different now than it might have been in the 60s or 70s," Scher said. He says there are many factors underlying the decline and transformation of hitchhiking. Films such as "The Hitchhiker" and "The Hitcher" have contributed a lot to people's general fear. "You're never entirely sure who's supposed to be afraid, the driver or the hitchhiker," Scher said. “With the evolution of social media, a new trend seems to be emerging: an advanced and reformed version of hitchhiking.You might call it organized, planned hitchhiking," Scher said. "You can sign up to be standing at a certain place and people coming by, will know, people might be there to pick them up." With dot com sites like Rideshare, Carpool and Ridejoy, the ability to share a car with a total stranger may have left the side of the road in favor of the information superhighway.

Two charged for robbing hitchhiker
Two men faced a judge where they were given $1million dollar bonds after being accused of robbing a man they gave a ride to. The male victim told police that he was trying to hitch a ride from a black Chevy impala with three men inside. One the three men took out a gun and demanded the hitchhiker hand over his money and valuables. The victim ran to a store and the vehicle fled the scene but got into a chase. Police found the car in a ditch and were later able to arrest the suspects.

Hitchhiker Accused of Stealing Car, Dragging Man in OKC
Police arrest a woman accused of injuring a man by dragging him on the outside of his own car. Kristeena Wheeler, 31, told police she wanted to get home and the man told her he would take her part of the way. Wheeler told police the man stopped to get air in his tires and when he got out of the car, she then got behind the wheel and took off. Witnesses told police the man was clinging to the window on the outside of the car and dragged before falling off. The man was taken to an area hospital, his condition listed as stable. Wheeler told police before the man stopped at a gas station to put air in his tires, "he tried to grab my face to kiss me and then he tried to grab my special private area." She said that's why she felt she needed to get away from him, according to the report. Wheeler was arrested and booked on charges of assault and battery with a motor vehicle, larceny of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of an injury accident.

Slacker thinks Steve’s nephew is a idiot. He thinks it’s smart that he is at least taking a friend. Slacker wants to know who would wants to pick up two big guys on the side of the road. He says it seems like it’s a nice thing but who and why would do it? Slacker thinks its just as dangerous to give a woman a ride, do you do ask her to show you her purse? He says they could have weapons too! Slacker thinks that maybe Steve’s nephew is using this as a ploy to get him to buy a bus ticket somewhere. Slacker says he would never let a loved one hitchhike.

Steve says the problem is that his aunt hitchhiked in the 60s and 70s. He says it used to be normal behavior back in the day. Steve thinks it is not a safe or smart thing to do. He wants to know what the rules to hitchhiking are, can you do it on an on-ramp or do you have to be far away? Steve brings up a time when Slacker’s friend pulls over to give a woman a ride and several dudes get out catching a ride along. Steve had a friend that took a chance when he was following him on the way to Vegas. He says that after they got to Vegas, he got out and questioned his friend. Steve’s friend said he decided to take a chance because Steve was trailing close by and luckily it worked out.

What’s your crazy hitchhiking story?

My mother taught me to never pick up a hitchhiker. She said it was dangerous and told me stories of her friends. I am now afraid of anyone on the side of the road!